CE 73 
.B25 
Copy 1 




The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society 
of Philadelphia 

OLD AND NEW STYLE 



FIXED DATES CALENDARS 



PRINCIPLES AND RESULTS OF EMENDATIONS 
A PAPER 

READ BEFORE THE SOCIETY FEBRUARY 3d 1881 




BY 



JOHN R BAKER 




PHILADELPHIA 

PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY 

1 881 



/ 



The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society 
of Philadelphia 

OLD AND NEW STYLE 
FIXED DATES CALENDARS 



AND THE 



PRINCIPLES AND RESULTS OF EMENDATIONS 
A PAPER 

READ BEFORE THE SOCIETY FEBRUARY 3d 1881 



BY 



JOHN R BAKER 











PHILADELPHIA 

PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY 

1881 






It should be borne in mind that the aim of these pages was merely 
to strengthen views maintained in oral discussions presenting many 
sides. To meet conclusively the different classes of objectors on their 
own grounds, a considerable expansion was unavoidable, mainly of a 
popular character, though sometimes dependent on astronomical facts 
as given by the best authorities. 



COLLINS, PRINTER. 



OLD AND NEW STYLE. 



If your honorable body will accept a volunteer in the room of 
the essayist appointed for this evening, the courtesy, possibly open- 
ing the door to an infliction, may save — under patient endurance — 
from error — at least from confusion in the settlement of dates. 

This paper originates in the request of an old friend and brother 
alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Lewis Allaire 
Scott, whose investigations have already enlightened you on the 
subject of "Fixed Anniversaries," having for objective the proper 
date in 1882 whereon should be celebrated the bi-centennial of 
William Penn's first landing in Pennsylvania at Upland; the his- 
torical date of which is here assumed to be correct, Sunday, Oct. 
29, 1682. 

There has been presented a printed pamphlet* comprising the 
definition of an anniversary with four methods of procedure to con- 
vert the same from one system of chronology into another, within 
prescribed and supposed necessary limits. The author, entirely 
faithful to the terms of the proposition, "claims the 
right of judgment in the apparently varying practice and Bul1 ' 

without being open to the charge of carelessness or 
error;" the Act of Parliament, and Bull of Gregory appended, are 
not only convenient references, but absolute laws regulating the 
calendar, and the whole accepted by you, while open to no criticism, 
may yet be used in further seeking after truth. There are related 
ideas of value thrown out which are not fully appreciated, since the 

* The pamphlet entitled " Act and Bull," printed by the Society, considered 
another date, that of Penn's presumed landing in Philadelphia, Nov. 8, 1682. 



whole subject seems to be pushed aside; your minds meantime, per- 
sistent in the first line of thought, not well examined, are creating 
for themselves a necessity that does not really exist. Bear, then, 
with a review of the case, possibly tedious, but of some worth if it 
should prevent notions from crystallizing round complexity when a 
natural and simple form is quite as attractive as it should be im- 
perative. It will be profitable to call from the back shed of memory 
old, familiar, but long unused lore. 

The question treated by the author of "Act and Bull" embodies 
views to which some, perhaps a majority of those now present, may 
still adhere. These views seem to involve — 

First. That a calendar is an exact method of computing 

TIME. 

Second. That an anniversary should be as its etymology 

— AN ABSOLUTE YEARLY RECURRENCE OF ANY EVENT. 

Third. That a change in the method of computing time, or 
calendar, creates a necessity for changing the anniversary 
from Old Style into New. 



First. WHAT IS A CALENDAR? 

A calendar is a register of the months, days, times, and seasons 
of the year, and of remarkable events in the past — a convenient 
manual, almanac, or systematic table for reckoning time. Its great 
scope consists in presenting in a definite number of days the rela- 
tively indefinite period of the earth's translation round the sun, viz., 
365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46.05 seconds, or mean solar year. 

Among the nations of the earth widely different reckonings of 
time have been employed. The early Egyptian counted 360 days 
to the year, adding in five supplementary days at the end; some 
astrologers of Thebes discovered, however, that about six hours 
more were required to make the year return to the first point of 
observation — the rising of Sothis or Sirius. This system lost a day 



every four years; with this addition the amended one or Sothic 
year of 365J days fell short of the sidereal year on which it was 
based some 9 min. 6 sec. annually. The early Greek calendar was 
on a computation of months ; twelve lunations in their year made the 
number of days annually too short. Meton, B.C. 432, corrected the 
calendar and changed the time of the commencement of the year from 
the winter to the summer solstice. The Olympiads, first noted 
about B.C. 1453, were irregularly observed till B.C. 776, when the' 
games were re-instituted and constantly celebrated ; from this epoch 
computations of time were made, the Olympiads being the periods 
between the celebration of the games — four full years. On the 
fifth, at the full moon next after the summer solstice, the games 
were renewed for five days, but as the moon might he just after the 
solstice ovfour weeks removed, the intervals of the Olympiads were 
unequal in length, making the eras, if continuous, irregular. The 
reckoning by this method continued till the fourth or fifth century 
Anno Domini, being employed by many neighboring nations. 

The Jewish year, the earliest one, was like the two referred to, 
a rude reckoning of 360 days ; all the ancient computations, taking 
rise, probably, in a remote practice between Noah's flood and the 
Dispersion. After the Exodus, a year essentially solar was adopted, 
but its months were lunar ; twelve months in the year and an inter- 
calary one when necessary. In later times the Jews are erroneously 
credited with having two years: they really had two commencements 
of the year: one, sacred, beginning at or near the vernal equinox; 
the other, civil, at or near the autumnal equinox. 

Descend now the stream of time to the fourth year of the fifth 
Olympiad, about B. C. 753, when the building of Rome claims 
attention; an epoch historically uncertain as to true date, but from 
which springs an era "Anno Urbis Condi tse," the first regular method 
of computing time, very little better than the systems antecedent. 
All are inexact, though, for the people using them, fairly serviceable. 
The most skilful star-gazers without nice .instruments for observa- 



6 

tion can only give approximate results, and the most eminent 
chronologists of all nations are hopelessly perplexed when they 
would fix exact dates by any or all of these calendars. The most 
that can be done by them is to come as near as possible to the year 
date, adding the word of uncertainty "circum," about. 

About A. U. C. 707 (B. C. 46), Julius Csesar found great confu- 
sion in the calendar. The civil year differed from the tropical some 
three months. The year was lunar with considerable alterations 
grafted on it, from the time of Romulus ; many of these were 
arbitrary and corrupt. It would appear that there was no high 
science in Rome just then, so the Emperor took into counsel an 
Egyptian mathematician, Sosigenes, of Alexandria, with whose aid 
the lunar year was abolished, and a Sothic year of 365J days 
established, having its beginning changed from March 1st to Janu- 
ary 1st. To correct the civil year Julius decreed that the year 
A. U. C. 708 should have eighty, some say ninety, days added in 
between October and the second thirty-first of December thence fol- 
lowing. The intercalary day was given to February, " bis-sexto 
Kalendas Martii;" the months were made to add up 365 days for 
three common years, and 366 days for the fourth. The arrange- 
ment of the days in the several months, as at present, was made by 
Augustus, with some other modifications. The amended year was 
in excess of the true solar year eleven minutes and fourteen seconds 
(11' 14") nearly, whereby the vernal equinox fell back in every 
century about three-fourths of a day. When Julius lived the vernal 
equinox was on March 25; in A. D. 1600, it had receded to the 
11th, a difference of 14 days. Gregory XIII. desiring that the 
vernal equinox should be hereafter always on the date on which it 
fell in A. D. 325 (Council of Nice), viz., 21st of March, the differ- 
ence is the famous ten days, hereafter to be treated of. 



Observe that this retrogression of the vernal equinox is due to 
the calendar system described above, and to it solely. Every cen- 



tury was a day too long by the reckoning, which is the same as 
saying the count by days was in advance of the sun's arrival in his 
course, apparently considered. The precession of the equinoxes, 
that phenomenon which causes the earth to come to equinox a little 
before it has completed a full translation round the sun — real mo- 
tion — has nothing whatever to do with the calendar variation. The 
mean solar year remains constant. The equinoctial points moving 
on the ecliptic in the contrary order of the signs, 50 seconds of arc 
annually, shortens the interval of observation only, not the circuit 
the earth must travel, which, for all methods used by astronomers in 
measuring the year, must be exactly the same path. The allowance 
made may be shown as follows : — 

Days. Hrs. Min. Sec. 

The exact measure of the revolution round 

the sun is the sidereal year, being . 365 6 9 5.95 

The mean solar year is ... 365 5 48 46.05 

. j_ 

Difference is precession ... 20 19.90 

which means irregularity in the earth's motion, too complex to be 
pursued further here. 

Before the invention of the telescope, many observers-had arrived 
within a few seconds at the length of the mean solar year. 

Up to this point it needs no argument to show there could have 
been no fair and fixed recurrence of dates. Passing by the older 
calendars so confused that the most laborious mathematical skill 
scarcely can establish in them even the year of historical occur- 
rence ; leaving behind the era from Rome built, interjected with 
corruptions and subterfuges as Pontifex Maximus might dictate ; the 
Julian Calendar appears to possess some claims to accuracy. True, 
there are the eighty days added in (a convenient little fund where- 
with to offset the Gregorian ten ! !) ; the leap years, every centurial 
year invading and swelling the next and the next with calendar 
days not equalized by astronomical fact ; still the system as a whole 



8 

was about as convenient as that now in use to note and celebrate 
events within the century ; outside of this term, exactness was not 
assured. 

Change of Style. 

With all the power and authority of his holy office, Pope Gregory 
XIII. undertook and accomplished a reformation of 
6-20 * ne ca l en d ar f° r a U purposes, mostly ecclesiastical. 

The objects to be gained by this change are of 
consequence. 

Sec. 6. " Three things necessary :" — 
20-21 ' First. A fixed place for the vernal equinox. 

Next. A correct position for the first full moon 
which either happens upon the very day of the equinox, or follows 
next after it. 

Finally. Every first Sunday which follows on the same full moon. 

After providing for these, "a mode and reckoning should be 

furnished by which care is taken that for the future the equinoctial 

and the Paschal moon shall never be moved from their proper 

seats." 

Sec. 7. Provides that ten days shall be dropped from the 5th 
to the 15th of October, 1582, calling the 5th the 15th, and after 
arranging the feasts naturally falling on these lost days, directs that 
the remaining feast days shall be observed successively as set forth 
in the calendar. 

Sec. 8. Provides against injury happening to any one, and 
makes it the duty of judges to add ten other days at the end of 
any guarantee, on account of this subtraction. 

Sec. 9. Provides that the intercalary shall be continued as is 
customary in every fourth year except in centurial years, decree- 



ing that in every 400 years three centurial years shall pass with- 
out the bissextus, and that 1600 should be bissextile. 

The working of this reform was like that of the Julian year then 
superseded, in this, that the odd 5 hours 48 minutes and 46.5 
seconds, called briefly in practice one-quarter of a day — making 
up in four years the intercalary of February — really fell short 
of practice 11 minutes 14 seconds annually. The year is not 
equal to 365 days 6 hours by this fraction of time, which accu- 
mulating for a century amounts to three-quarters of a day; more 
correctly speaking, one day in 128 years. A day dropped out of 
the old reckoning or rather the omission of the intercalary in 
three out of four centurial years, a sort of quadro-centesimal 
leap year system, makes up a close but not exact compensation at 
the close of centuries. 

The first requisite of the Papal decree, " That the vernal 
equinox should have a fixed place and should never be moved 
from its proper seat," was approximated but not accomplished 
fully, as astronomers will testify. This " fixed" recurrence shifts, 
along for three years to be corrected partially on the fourth ; the; 
overplus* carried through three centurial years to be righted on 
the fourth, with still another fragment of time over, which will be 
happily and satisfactorily accounted for in about 3300 years. 

Now what was the amount the Holy Father at Tusculum paid 
back to Old Father Time ? — At the rate of 20 hours in a century 
— 12 minutes in a year ! ! 

What is the apparent loss to the three centuries following, from 
the 16th to the 19th ? At the rate of 3 days 16 hours per cen- 
tury, 53 minutes per year ! ! 

* The last four years of the Julian century required an intercalary of 1 day. 
But the century so reckoned had lost § " 

There was an overplus due the century ^ " 

Or in four centuries one day. 



10 

Prof. Simon Newcomb questions the wisdom of the Gregorian 
change, thinking it difficult to show what practical object is to be 
attained by seeking exact coincidence of the calendar and astro- 
nomical year. He considers that " the popular opposition to 
change of calendar indicated that the common sense of the people 
was more nearly right than the wisdom of the learned." 

He further intimates that the question of making 1900 a leap 
year will no doubt be discussed as the end of the century ap- 
proaches, and possibly some concerted action be taken by leading 
nations to a return to the old mode of reckoning, but the common 
sense of the people as aforesaid, will again be as opposed to the 
step backward from the present system as it was to the forward 
advance toward it. The nineteenth century surely will not go 
.back on itself. 

Nearly exact coincidences of calendar and year are to be 
found in the Persian system, which in the course of thirty-three 
years makes eight intercalations : the quadrennium, as hitherto, 
being repeated seven times, then four common years and the fifth 
made a leap year. Its changes are more frequent in the century 
and hardly as convenient, neither is it in use among Christian 
nations. 

It has been dwelt on that the Papal Bull did not disturb fixed 

religious days from their old positions in the calen- 

„ * q' dar ; that these constitute a large array of iustances, 

PP. D, /, O. 

most of them anniversaries ; with remarks on the 
analogy of these fixed days as controlling decisions of the " case 
considered." 

It is claimed that Christmas is a date. St. Chrysostom says 
that Julius I. in the fourth century, at the solicitation of St. Cyril 
of Jerusalem, caused strict inquiries to be made, and, following 
what seemed to be the best authenticated tradition, settled authori- 
tatively the 25th December. 

The birth of John the Baptist is a date. 



11 

The day of Martyrdom is a date. 

The celebration of the day of the reformation in Germany 
October 31,1517, of the presentation of the confession of faith 
to the Emperor Charles V. at Augsburg June 25, 1530, of the 
adoption by Protestant Germany of the Book of Concord June 25, 
1580, have been cited ; all natural dates and repeatedly used 
without change of style. 

Excepting in countries under the Greek Church the change of 
calendar in every nation in Christendom was the same in basis. 

As far as a system of divergences and compensations could effect 
it, the venial equinox was made immovable, and Easter and the 
Paschal full moon settled.* 

Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal made the change in 1582 — 
Catholic Switzerland, Germany, and Netherlands in 1582 ; Poland 
in 1585 — Hungary in 1587 — Protestant Germany, Holland, and 
Denmark in 1700. England in 1752 — Sweden in 1753. 

In all the calendars excepting those of the last two, the punctum 
immobile had been settled at March 21. In the last two the cor- 
responding day was March 9 or 10, with errors 

Act and Bull, 

increasing. 10 ' 

° p. 12. . 

In all. the year 1600 was a leap year ; in those 
only of Britain and Sweden 1700 stood a leap year. The year of 
the Act of Parliament w r as a leap year bearing the burden of its 
three predecessors and amending the quadrennium as far as it 
might do. In the following year the calendars of all Christendom 
showed the same 21 March fixed in the same place, not abso- 
lutely, but by the agreement of all concerned, whatever might be 
the year of the recognition and adoption of the principle ; the 
tardiness of a century and a half makes nothing in the question, 
the point d'appui was the very same. 

* Here occurs a discrepancy between practice and astronomy. The Paschal 
Moon is by agreement, and may come to the full a day or two before the mean 
astronomical moon, or after it. 



12 

The establishment of this date-point is the basis of the practice 
governing the change from Old Style to New in all cases where 
such conversion is required, or where a date in the earlier system 
calls in the name of justice for recognition and estab- 
A ndix' li snmen k m the later. Beyond the point named, 
corrections apply to solstices, time-covenants, annui- 
ties, rents, leases, minorities and such like, all carefully specified 
— and to these only. 



It was the original intent of this paper to throw light on the four 
methods of practice already presented to you without 
' going further. The question seems simple, the figures 
few, but the confusion of mind great, since a simple 
date in Old Style branches out into four of New Style with appa- 
rently good reasons, as there are earnest advocates for each. The 
difficulty is to counteract the misapprehensions of all classes of 
candid reasoners on the subject; to restore simplicity to a thing suf- 
ficiently simple were its surroundings always kept in view : to do all 
this has given rise to much thought and many calculations whereby 

to test results in more ways than one. 
♦ 

Look now at the treatment of the vernal equinox. 
The correction in Italy was made as stated in 1582 the advan- 
tage sought did not appear till 1583 ; the change then was in effect 
to push forward the equinoctial point (dropping days but adding the 
sum of dates dropped) from March 11 Julian, by the addition of 
ten days, to Gregorian March 21. In England the correction of 
1T52, in like manner, pushed forward the equinoctial point from 
March 10, as settled by the Act, by the like process, 
' and made, by addition of eleven days in the calendar 
of 1753, the Parliament March 21. In all the calen- 
dars 1600 was a leap year, in England 1700 was a leap year ; had 
it been kept as a common year its Feb. 29 would have been March 



13 

1, and March 10th the 11th ; the equinox had thus receded one day 
more ; the Act virtually corrects this by adding 11 days to the 10th, 
or March 21.* This one day's recession affects every conversion of 
date. The sun's apparent place fell back by the intercalary of 
1700 one day more than the Gregorian ten days. 

Turn now to Method No. 2. 



Vernal equinox, 1582, March 11, 0. S. 
call it by New S. 1582, " 21, N. S. 
recurrence, 1882, " 21, " 



Act and Bull, 
p. 2. 



But then 1700 and 1800 must each drop the intercalary ; if kept 
Julian Style, the 21st will be March 20, 1782, and March 19, 1882, 
one day in a century. 

By this test examine the recurrence of Penn's landing in Method 
No. 2, which makes the datef Nov. 8, N. S., which is correct, pro- 
vided the amendment was complete in 1682. The centuries over 
which this date is assumed to pass would each have dropped a day. 
The calendar date would agree with the sun, and be kept so to furnish 
correct centennial recurrences for many ages, Nov. 8. The fact is, 
that the correction of the English calendar did not take place till 
1752, when the centurial intercalary had disturbed the relations 
between date and sun ; one day more must be dropped out and one 
date added ; thus the Nov. 8 of No. 2 becomes Nov. 9 in the cor- 
rected English calendar. 

Method No. 3 needs no comment ; it is that of the Act, correctly 
harmonizing with the foregoing : Oct. 29, add 11 days — Nov. 9. 

* Appearing first in calendar of 1753. 

f Penn's landing, 1682, say Oct. 29, O. S. 

Call it by New Style, 1682, " Nov. 8, N. S. 

Anniversary, 1882, " Nov. 8, N. S. 



14 

Method No. 4 is wholly in error. 

1682, March 11, Old Style, carried to its recurrence in 1882, 
would be pushed back to March 9, the sun's place and true date ; 
requiring 12 days to make the equinox correct. 

Oct. 29, 1682, carried to 1882, must go back two days for agree- 
ment of calendar and sun : thus, Oct. 2T. But in 1752 there was 
one day already dropped, and date counted up, which converts 
Oct. 27 to Oct. 28, add twelve days, Nov. 9, one day for each 
century to the ten Gregorian. 



1700 1. 
1800 1. 
1900 1. 

2000 0. 

2001 1. 

2002 1. 

2003 1. 



Method No. 4 may be carried fairly to A. D. 2003. 

Penn's landing, 1682, say Oct. 29, O. S. 

Old Style recurrence, 2003, " 29, O. S. 

Call it by New Style, 2003, Nov. 14, N. S. 
or the absurd reduction. 
At this rate of progression, should life and intention be prolonged, 
the good man's day might be made Christmas, ^New Year, or the 
Fourth of July, a blessed mixture of dates for posterity. 



The learned President has suggested that a ready mode of reck- 
oning the bi-centennial of Penn's landing (under the preconceived 
idea of the necessity of changing styles) might be found by count- 
ing up the number of days in two centuries : — 

Oct. 29, 1682, to Oct. 29, 1782, O. S. contains 36,525 days. 

Error by Gregorian decree, 12 centuries, 10 days. 

Error by Act regulating 1700, 1 day. 

drop 11 days. 

In the century of correction there were 36,514 days. 

In the century corrected and following, 36,524 " 

Bringing these two centuries to 1882, New Style, 

they contain 73,038 days. 



15 

From this sum deduce the average year in two centuries, 365 
days, 4 hours, 33 minutes, 36 seconds, which is short of the mean 
solar year nearly 11 days, without calculating fractions. If, then, 
you will add to Oct. 29 this 11 days, you find Nov. 9, and con- 
tinued so in a corrected calendar. 



Second. WHAT IS AN ANNIVERSARY? 

A yearly return of a memorable day — any day 
kept which one may choose to consider remarkable. 3 8 ' 

Under the preceding head a periphrasis was used, 
namely, recurrence of date, meaning in the argument the same 
thing, but avoiding a word yet to be considered. At the present 
day, this word connects in idea with celebration — of memory of the 
past ; its weight and influence ; a promise, a ring, a special bless- 
ing, a grievous woe, a very trifle, somehow associated with a date 
or time of year. Occurrences affecting nations or communities 
follow the same principle. 

If an anniversary be taken by calendar, the point of precision is 
lost, while the makeshift of coming as near it as possible, virtually 
yields the question of " fixed and true anniversaries" which evoked 
this discussion. Calendar anniversaries in their nature are by 
agreement ; by agreement often and often the weight of the event 
falls on another day or time altogether ; thus the 4th of July once 
in seven years is observed on the 5th ; the sesqui-centennial of 
Baltimore was made to occur at any convenient time in October, 
1880. 

A child born January 1, 1880, has by agreement its first birth- 
day January 1, 1881 ; its little life, watched by hours, days, weeks, 
and months, has really counted one year, eighteen hours. 

Rossini, the composer, was born February 29, 1T92, his first. 



16 

birthday must have been March 1, 1793, by agreement, when he 
was one year one day old.* 

Considering the difficulty of adapting to a definite manual the 
rather indefinite term of the earth's translation round the sun, 
the divergences and compensations, annual, quadrennial, centen- 
nial, and ter-millenary, necessary to the correctness of this most 
complete calendar ever used by enlightened people, is it wise, 
is it philosophical to change a natural, easy, and harmonious date 
for the sake of less than an average hour of time per annum, while 
far greater allowances are made in the same period and pass with- 
out note or comment ? 



Third. IS THERE ANY NECESSITY FOR A CHANGE 
OF STYLE? 

None whatever, if you are satisfied ; if the principles as set 
forth are maintained fairly, and the explanations correct ; Penn's 
landing was a historical event, the anniversary of which should fol- 
low the examples already given, being in character 
' 5 ' the same with the " sound analogy" before you. 

Many more might be. given, some of recent occur- 
rence; e. g., Tom Paine, January 29, 1736, celebrated in New 
York, January 29, 1881 ; but perhaps those referred to (pp. 10, 11) 
will suffice. If, then, you accept the date now considered to be 
October 29, 1682, make the bi-centennial anniversary the natural 
date, by declaring unmistakably that it is and of right ought to be 
October 29, 1882. 

* Another little instance will doubtless be called to mind of a young man 
born on the 29th of February, who was apprenticed to a pirate under indenture 
of service, not till he should arrive at the age of twenty-one years, but till his 
twenty-first birthday ; a most ingenious paradox ! This term, extended out to 84 
years, created, when published, no small surprise in many liigh circles, while a 
large number of sympathizing people sought relief' in tiers ! 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



022 008 884 4 # 






Please acknowledge lo 
\\ |umi|ma«c and |n«qumiiatt |oritfB of jMadctpto, 

HEmT PHILLIPS, Jr., Cor. Secretary, 
209 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, 



